


These Things You Do

by imperiousheiress



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 22:53:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5604007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperiousheiress/pseuds/imperiousheiress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Charles’s professors is a totally closed-minded prick, and Erik takes matters into his own hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Things You Do

 

The sound of the door slamming shut and books banging down against the table was what alerted Erik to the fact that his roommate was home. Now, this wasn’t exactly an entrance he’d never seen the likes of before, which was why he didn’t even flinch at the loud noises. In fact, he barely paused in his typing. He had a very important paper that he really needed to focus his attentions on finishing the first draft of, after all.

“ _Unbelievable!_ ”

The shout made Erik stop. Oh, so this was one of _those_ occasions.

And any second now, that meant he was going to be barging in here and-

“He’s a lunatic! An absolute sodding moron with no basis in reality whatsoever!”

Surrendering to the fact that he wasn’t going to be getting any more work done for the time being, Erik took off his glasses and set them aside on the table before turning in his wheely chair to face the man with whom he shared a room. He was standing there with one of the chocolate chip cookies that their friend Hank had made out of boredom in one of his culinary classes and gifted them stuffed in his mouth, and two more sticking out of the pocket of the coat he’d not yet taken off.

Erik decided to amuse him with the simple question of, “Who?”

“Meyers!” Charles shouted almost before the question was done being asked. “Professor Meyers! He’s a bleeding idiot who I frankly don’t believe is even qualified to be teaching in the fields in which he’s _supposedly_ an _expert_!”

Erik wracked his brain for recollection of the name. _Meyers_. Charles had complained about him before, and made it quite well known that he was not fond of the man as a person, but up until now, Erik had never seen him so upset by him.

“Isn’t he a sociology professor?”

“If an elitist fuck who spreads ignorance about the struggles of the working class can qualify as a sociology professor, then I guess so!” Charles barked.

Erik stood slowly so as not to further provoke his roommate, although it seemed as if Charles barely even noticed the action, too caught up in his ramblings.

“Charles,” Erik prompted gently, simply trying to draw the younger man’s attention. When it failed, he repeated, more forcefully, “ _Charles_.”

“What?!” he snapped. Immediately, Erik could see the regret in his eyes and the slump of his shoulders.

Erik didn’t mind, however. He knew that anger wasn’t really meant for him, and he wanted Charles to do whatever he needed to be able to vent that frustration, even if it meant taking it out on him. Calmly, Erik laced his fingers together and lifted his joined arms over Charles’s head until his hands rested on the shorter man’s neck. He worked his thumbs in soothing circles against the defined line of Charles’s jaw, applying a gentle pressure. His negative feelings seemed to evaporate almost immediately as his eyes fluttered shut, a soft sound escaping his lips as he leaned into Erik’s touch.

“Now,” Erik began, since by this point Charles was no longer capable of only irrational thought born of emotion, “What did this Professor Meyers do?”

“He was trying to convince everyone about how class division and wage gap is a lie and everyone has equal opportunity for success no matter their background. Then he started preaching about how poverty could be solved if the poor were actually willing to work. Can you believe that! How could anyone possibly be so ignorant?”

Erik could sense the man getting riled up again, and he pressed his lips gently against his forehead before saying, “I still don’t see why you don’t just get up one day and teach the class yourself. You’re entirely capable of doing so.”

Charles snorted and Erik paused in his massaging (earning a noise of protest) to reach one hand down into the pocket of Charles’s coat and stuff a cookie in his mouth.

Charles almost choked laughing and proceeded to shove Erik away before pulling him in again for a proper kiss.

 

 

When Charles awoke, it was because he’d been rudely pulled from sleep by a chill against his skin. He tiredly reached out, just to come in contact with nothing but empty air, which made him force his eyes open, although it was a slow process. Sure enough, what his eyes saw correlated with what his hands had felt. There was nothing, or rather, no one. More specifically, there was no _Erik._ Charles sat up in a daze. He was well aware that his lover was much more fond of mornings than he, but he usually had the consideration to stick around until Charles woke up, or at least wake him up first.

For a moment, all Charles could feel was a hazy panic; it was brief, however, as when he moved forward, he saw a bright yellow note attached to the nightstand on Erik’s side. Upon further inspection, he found it read, _Early jog. Don’t wait. –Erik._ followed by a hasty, almost shyly written _I love you._

Charles smiled to himself as he wrapped all of the blankets around himself and curled back up to sleep some more.

 

 

Charles woke up again later with a feeling of absolute contentment hovering over him. He was pretty sure Erik had gone off to class at that point, or was studying in one of the campus libraries, but he found that he didn’t really mind the absence. He got ready to head out to his own class, much more collected than he had been the previous night, and that feeling stayed with him until he got to the building where his intimate little Gender Studies class was taught. Now, although he wasn’t going there (nor would he ever) Charles passed by Prof Meyers’s office. He was instantly suspicious when he saw a crowd gathered around outside the door, nearly completely blocking the hall. There was such a din of voices that he couldn’t make out what was going on, but he did hear, “-gonna lose his shit-” and “- genius.”

With a growing feeling of dread, Charles pushed his way through the crowd to where he could see what everyone was looking at, and as soon as he could, his stomach dropped.

 

The sound of the door slamming shut and a furious “ _Erik!_ ” being bellowed into the open space was what alerted Erik to the fact that his roommate was home. Now, this wasn’t exactly an entrance he’d never seen the likes of before, but that didn’t mean he didn’t fear for his life just a little every single time. In fact, he froze exactly where he’d been lying on the bed reading, and shrunk down a little bit. Maybe if he stayed completely silent, Charles wouldn’t be able to find him.

Of course, that failed, and a second later, the man burst into the room, looking ready to rip him to shreds.

“Erik!” Charles spit. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

Despite having long ago lost concentration, Erik only then calmly closed the book and put it down. He retained an outward calm, even through his inner mantra of _‘Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shitohshitohshitoh’_

“I was thinking Meyers is an arse who needed to be called out for what he is,” Erik replied with successful nonchalance. “And who better to let him and everyone else know?”

“ _Really_ , Erik? _“Meyers is an Authoritarian”_?”

And then there was a picture monopolizing Erik’s field of vision, of the banner he’d hung across the Professor’s office door, the letters painted neatly in red by hand. Really, the hardest part of the process had been figuring out how to string it across the door like that. The banner itself had been a simple matter. He’d bought it at the local party store and painted on the white back. If you were to turn it over, it would simply be decorated with balloons and read something like ‘Happy Birthday Emily’. He took a moment to feel flattered that Charles bothered to take that picture, because after the whole being mad at him thing had passed, Erik knew Charles would admit that he had quite enjoyed the little prank.

Now however…

“Well he is,” Erik answered simply, feeling like he was about to go cross-eyed from looking at this picture too close to his face for too long. Charles pulled his phone with the picture on it away so that nothing remained for Erik’s eyes to linger on except for his own furious expression.

“Yeah, but you don’t- That’s not- Don’t point it out to him! Not like that!” Charles spluttered, face red in anger.

“Oh, how would you have suggested I point it out to him, then?” Erik raised an eyebrow, inviting his own demise, but it made Charles falter. “That’s what I thought.”

The sigh that followed that thought was masked by the decibel of the frustrated noise the younger man grunted out from behind closed teeth. He pulled at his hair and turned on his heels, taking a few steps away from Erik before immediately circling back to face him in a movement akin to pacing.

“ _Erik!_ ” he shouted before immediately lowering his voice. “This little stunt of yours, besides being completely overdramatic, isn’t going to solve a damn thing. People are stubborn creatures, and in order for them to see the errors of their ways, we must _show_ them, not _punish_ them for it. That only perpetuates anger and fear and strengthens their narrow-minded causes; _fuelling the fire_ if you will.”

Despite his big words and solid argument, Charles was most definitely pouting at him, and Erik huffed out a breath in annoyance.

“Charles,” Erik said sharply, getting his attention immediately. “You _stupid prick_.”

Charles was taken aback by that, looking baffled and not a little offended. “What?!” he cried indignantly. “You-”

“I don’t _care_ about Meyers’s feelings, Charles!” Erik cut him off sternly. “I care about _your_ feelings. And Meyers was, frankly, pissing you off. I couldn’t stand by.”

Charles’s expression went blank as he stared at his boyfriend.

Erik was a little nervous, honestly. At any moment, he expected Charles to snap and start screaming furiously at him. Which is why he let out a very manly squeak when he was lunged at. Instead of feeling the pain he was expecting, however, there were only two solid arms wrapped around his middle and messy locks brushing his neck.

He slowly relaxed into the warm embrace upon realising it was not going to turn into a chokehold, and slipped his arms around Charles, letting his hands rest against the small of his back automatically. His actions were based simply on familiarity, considering he was still too surprised to really think. A warm, wet breath huffed out against his neck, making him shiver in the slightest. The feeling accompanied Charles’s soft giggles – and yes, Charles undoubtedly did _giggle_ – which slowly grew louder. Erik couldn’t help the smile that made his lips twitch up at the sound.

Charles pulled away to beam up at him, and his hands travelled up Erik’s chest to come to rest behind the slightly taller man’s neck. He stretched up minutely to peck a kiss to Erik’s lips.

“Have I ever told you I love you?” Charles asked.

“Not enough,” Erik hummed, suddenly pleased, dipping back down to steal another, longer kiss from the younger man.

“Just please, do not make a habit of vandalising classrooms,” Charles requested, grinning.

Erik smirked back. “No promises.”

Charles let out a weary sigh, though the smile remained on his lips. “I suppose I can live with that.”

Erik’s hands moved up to cradle either side of Charles’s face and he pulled him in, kissing him deeply with a grin still on his face.


End file.
